Warp-printing machine.



No. 864,312. v PATENTED AUG. 27', 1907.

- I 0.11, LANDENBERGER.

WARP PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIbN FILED MAE-1. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l CECE No. 864,312. I PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907. 7

' 0. H. LANDENBERGBR.

WARP PRINTINGIMACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR-1. 1906.

. 3 SHEBTSSHBET 2,.

PATENTBD AUG.27,1907 c. H. LAN'DENBERGBR.

WARP PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) $411.1, 190s.

. s sums-sum 3,

fliiaess e;

threads, and a corresponding plurality of sets of color tivelystationary.

; To all whom it may concern:

'Warp-Printing Machines, of which the following is a warp threads whichare intended for the production of carpets, rugs or other fabricsof-that class in which the application thereto of heat or the actionthereupon ofsteam or other fluid, and the prevention, in. great UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H 'LANDENBERGER, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WARP-PRINTING momma.

Be it known that I, Gnsnnns H. LANDENBERGER,'2 citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in specification. p r Y My invention relates especially tothe printing of pattern'is printed upon the warp threads before theweaving of the fabric, although, in its broadest embodiment, my.invention is also available'for the printing of a pattern upon a wovenor other fabric already produced. a I

My invention contemplates the use of a plurality of warp,thread units,each comprising one or more warp impression devices constituting what Iterm frames, one for each color, each frame extending transverselyacrossthe warp units, and each comprising a series of independentlyacting impression devices. The impression devices which correspond witheach warp unit are disposed in sequence, one behind another in thedirection of the length of the warp threads. In connection with suchwarpthread units and impression devices are employed means for movingone of said elements, relatively to the other, in the-direction of thelength of the warp threads, such movement being effected preferably by asuccession of intermittent impulses, each equal-to the extent of oneimpression and each between successive impressions. Means, operated,and, by preference, directlyoperated, by a jacquard machine orequivalent pattern device are used for causing'successive colorimpressions, one for each forward feeding. impulse of the-machine andthese intermittent forward feeding impulses are, by preference, impartedto the warp thread-units, the impression devices being rela- Theinvention also comprises means for preventing the blurring or mixture ofcolors by contact of adjacent warp thread units with one another, or thefouling of the draft mechanism by coloring material derived from saidwarp thread units.

- The invention also comprises means for effecting the setting of thecolors upon the warp thread unitsby the measure, of the uneven shrinkageand stretching of the warp thread unitsduring such treatment, thepurpose of this portion of the invention being torender it possible towind the warp thread units, immediately upon their emergence from thetreating chamber, directly upon the warp roller of the loom in whichthey are to be woven.

I Specification of Letters I Eptent.

Application filed March 1,1906. Serial No. 308,661.

The invention also comprisescertain detailed con- Patented Aug. 27,1907.

structions and combinations of parts fully set forth and claimedhereinafter, the general purpose of the invention being to provide amachine whereby. the quick and accurateprinting of a warp or warps for afabric of any desired pattern may be effected automatically and with aminimum of expense.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is a view of a section of designpaper containing a certain element of a pattern for a fabric in whoseconstruction are intended to be used warp threads such as those printedupon the machine forming the subject of my invention;

Fig. 2, shows a certain lengthnf one of said warp threads illustratingthe parti-colored character of the same;

Fig. 3, represents, in diagrammatic form, the succession .ments of themachine; Fig. 6, is a transverse section of part of the machine, andFig. 7, is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modification ofone feature of the invention.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, 1, 1, 1 and 1", represent a series of colorboxes, of which as many may be employed as the colors in the pattern mayrequire. Mounted in each box, so as to be partially submerged in thecoloring matter therein, is a color distributing roller 2 and above thelatter, and in peripheral contact therewith, is a printing roller 3, theperipheral portion of the latter roller being, by preference, recessedfor the purpose of dividing said periphery into a series of parallelsections or bars, each of a width determined by the extent of thenarrowest strip of color to be imparted to any of the warp threads.

The color boxes, with their accompanying color distributing and printingrollers, are intended to be of a length equal to the width of the set orgroup of warp thread units which are to be printed, these warp threadunits being disposed side by side above the .printing rollers '3, and atsuch a distance apart as will prevent 'contact of one unit with.another. Each color box, and

comprises twoor more warp threads, the group-of such units willrepresent a corresponding, number of warps orfractionsofwarps.

, in the group which is to be acted upon.

Above the warp threads are arranged a series of imprcssion levers 4, 4",4 and 4, one series for each of the printing rollers 13/ each series ortransverse row of impression levers constituting what 1 term a frame andcontaining as many levers as there are warp thread units A- set oflovers, comprising one for each color box, is disposed above each warpthread unit, the levers of the set being disposed in sequence one behindanother in the direction of the length of the warp threads.

One arm of each impression lever terminates in an impression face.directly above its corresponding warp thread unit, such lever being-inlateral dimensions at least as wide as said unit, and in longitudinaldimensions at least as long as the width of the impression bar or rib ofthe printing roller 3, in connection with which it operates, hence, wheneither impression lever is operated to depress this face, it willdepress the corresponding portion of the warp thread unit beneath it andbring the same into contact with the coloring material upon theuppermost impression bar or rib of the printing roller, therebytransferring said coloring material to the warp thread unit,- thecontact being continued for any length of time that may be necessary toinsure the thorough absorption of the coloring matter by all of thefibers of said unit. The otherarmof eachof the impression levers isconnected by a cord, wire or equivalent connection, to one of thelifting members 5 of a jacquard machine 7, or other equivalent patterncontrolling device, hereinafter, for convenience,

referred to simply as a jacquard machine. The cards 8 and liftercontrolling needles or other pattern determining elements of saidjacquard machine are designed to permit independent control of eachimpression lover,

The warp thread units'x pass through the machine in a directiontransverse to the axes of the printing rollers 3, and preferably by asuccession of intermittent movements, each equal in extent to the lengthof the strip of coloring material applied to the unit at each operationof the machine, each movement being effected between successiveoperations of the impression devices, and being imparted to the warpthreads by any suitable form of draft mechanism. Such draft mechanismcomprises, in the present instance, a series of positively actuateddraft rolls 9, and, in orderto prevent contact of the freshly printed orcolored warp threads with the surfaces of these draft rolls andconsequent fouling of the latter, I interpose, between the warp threadsand .the rolls, upper and lower offset-webs 10 of textile or otherrelatively absorbent material, these offset-webs passing, with the warpthreads, be-

tween and around the draft rolls, and through a steam:

ing box y and being afterwards withdrawn from contact with the warpthreads and directed to frictional-11y beam or roller 12 of the loom,without the necessity of any preliminary adjusting or registeringoperation.

It may, in many cases, be desirable to effccta drying or partial dryingof the warp threads before they reach the draft mechanism, and for thispurpose steam pipes 13 may be disposed between successive printingrollers and between the printing rollers and the draft rolls, as shown,or such heating devices may be located between the last printing rollerand the draft rolls only.

The shafts of the color distributing rollers 2 and printing rollers 3are geared together by means of spur wheels 14 and 15, as shown in Fig.5, in order to insure the positive, uniform and coincident movement ofsaid rollers, and like motion is transmitted to the various draft rolls9' from the shaft of the last printing roller of the series through themedium of spur wheels 16, 17, 18, 19,20 and 21, and to the let-off rolls11 from the shaft, of the first printing roller through the medium ofspur wheels 16", 17 and 18.

Movements of partial rotation are imparted to each of the colorfrollersand let-off and draft rolls of the machine, and the same are. lockedbetween their successive movements, the means employed in the presentinstance for effecting such opration being a longitu-v movement and lockthe worm wheel rigidly in position during the remaining portionof suchrotation. By this means each of the color distributing and printingrollers 'and each of the draft rolls and let-off rolls may be operatedat such time as the impression levers are free from contact with thewarp thread units, all of said rollers being held and locked instationary position position of each impression lever is such that itsimpres- I sion face is free from contact with a warp thread unit. Theresumption of its normal position by each impres sion lever may be dueto the preponderance in weight of that arm of the lever to which theoperating cord is connected, or to other equivalent means for effectingthe result.-

The shaft 22 may be provided with devices for operating the jacquardmachine,-hencethe apparatus -will be entirely automatic in its actionand will not require the intervention of an attendant from the time itis started until the entire length of warp thread units has been passedthrough it. As shown in the drawing,

theshaft 22 is provided with a pair of cranks 25 and 26 A for operatingrods 27 and 28, which are connected respectively to the lifter-operatinglever 29 and cylinder- 7 operating lever 30 of the jacquard machine, butit should be understood that my invention, in its essentials' isindependent of any mere operating mechanism colors imparted to it,depending upon the coloring of the pattern of the fabric or fabrics ofwhich the warp thread or threads constituting said unit is eventually toform part, hence, when each unit leaves the last of the impressiondevices it will present no portion to which coloring material has notbeen applied, unless short unc olored spaces have been left betweensuccessive colors, in order to prevent running, the color being finallyabsorbed by these uncolored portions ofthe yarn, by reasonof thecapillary attraction of the same. p

As shown in the transverse section Fig. 6, each of the warp thread unitsconsists of a single warp thread, hence if the group of such units.comprises as many as there are warp threads to be used in the productionof the rug or other fabric, one complete warp for'such rug' or otherfabric may be printed during one complete cycle of operations of themachine, and it will be evident that if each unit'comprises two or morewarp threads a corresponding number of complete warps may be printedduring each cycle, or, before indicated, the group of warp thread unitsin the machine may constitute but a fraction of a single warp or afraction of two, three, or more warps, depending upon whether each unitcomprises one, two', three or more threads.

The method of printing a warp thread in accordance with my inventionwill be best understood on reference to Figs.- 1, 2 and 3., Supposingthat in the section of the pattern sheet shown in Fig. 1, the"horizontally lined spaces representblue, the black spaces red, thecross-hatched spaces green, and the vertically lined spaces yellow, thecentraljline a of said pattern, and the corresponding portion of thewarp thread'shown in Fig. 2, will be colored as follows: two spacesblue, one space red, two spaces green, two spaces yellow, one space red,two spaces yellow, three spaces red, two spaces yellow, one space red,two spaces yellow, two spaces green, one space red and two spaces blue,each space representing a length of warp thread necessary to form oneloop of the pile in-the finished fabric. Supposing that the impressiondevices are arranged in sequence, blue, red,'green and yellow, thenumberof successive impressions required to produce the length of warp threadshown in Fig. 2, will be twenty-four, as indicated. in Fig. 3. On itsfirst and second" forward movements the thread will receive blueimpressions the third and fourth movements will be blank; on the fifthmovement the thread will receive a red impression, the sixth and seventhmovements will be blank; on the eighth and ninth movements the threadwill receive green impressions and on the tenth movement a redimpression; the eleventh movement will be blank; on the twelfth movementthe thread will receive a yellow impression, on the thirteenth movementyellow and red impressions, on the fourteenth movement a red impression,on the fifteenth movement yellow and red impressions and on thesixteenth movement, a yellow impression; the seventeenth movement willbe blank, on the eighteenth movement the thread will receive a redimpression; the nineteenth movement will be blank; on the twentiethmovement the thread will receive a yellow impression; on thetwenty-first movement a yellow impression, on the twenty-second movementa blue impression, on the twenty-third movement yellow, green, red andblue impressions and on the twenty-fourth movement yellow and greenimpressions. The cutting of the cards for the different colors willtherefore be dependentupon the sequence of color impression devicesin'the machine, and the distance between said impression devices. Asshown in Fig. 3, there is a distance of one space between successiveimpression devices, hence the red impression is two spaces behind theblue, the green impression is two spaces behind the red and four spacesbehind the blue, and the yellow impression is two spaces behind thegreen, four spaces behind the red and six spaces behind the blue,therefore, although, in the pattern illustrated, the first two spacesare blue, the third red, the fourth and fifth green and the sixth andseventh yellow, the first red color is applied on the fifth impressioninstead of the third, the first green color on the eighth impressioninstead of the fourth, and the first yellowcolor on the twelfthimpression instead of i the sixth, hence, in punching the cards 8 dueaccount must be taken of the sequence and spacing of the colorimpression devices used in connection with each warp thread unit. I

In the operative machine the impression devices .will, ordinarily, befurther apart than is shown in Fig. 3, the single space being thereadopted-simply to permit of a compact showing of the parts.

While Iprefer; in all cases, to impart movement to the warp thread unitsand to maintain the impression devices in a relatively fixed relation,the reverse of this might be true, that is to say, the impression de- 95vices might be moved and the warp thread units might be relativelyfixed. -While I also .prefer to adopt the intermittent movement of themoving element, continuous movement of the same might be resorted to insome cases, and printing rollers presenting a continuous peripheralsurface may, desired, be employed insteadrofthe ribbed or barredprinting rollers which I have shown, although the latter are preferred,7

because they accurately define the limits of those portions of the warpthread units to which color can be applied on each operation of themachine. My in venti'on may, however, be embodied in a machine in whichno printingrollers are used, for instance, each impression lever mayconstitute, or may be provided with a color box or receptacle, oneinstance of such construction being illustrated at 31 in Fig. 7, thecolor being conveyed to the warp thread unit through the medium of a pador other mass 32 of absorbent or capillary material, which normallyprevents the escape of coloring matter from the outlet of the color boxbut which, being itself saturated with the coloring material will, whenit is brought into contact with the warp thread unit serve to properlycolor the latter. I

The steam box 1 may be constructed in any desired manner for theperformance of its intended function of subjecting the printed threadsto the action of the steam for the fixing of the colors. The boxshownin' the drawing has a steam inlet pipe 33, and is provided withinternal flaps 35 and 36 at the inlet and outlet slots,

the inlet flap '35 bearing upon the upper offset web, and extendingpartly over the first of the rollers 37,

,with which the "steam box is provided, and the inlet flap '36 bearingupon the lower offset web, whereby the pressure of steam within the boxwill serve to maintain these contacts and prevent any material escape of&

steamthrough the-inlet-slot. Precisely the same construction is adoptedat the outlet slot.

The various rollers 37, over which" the printed threads, confinedbetween theoffset-webs, pass'in suc cession, may b'e-hollow andsteam-heated, and whenthe threads and "their-enveloping webs leavethe-steambox, and-the said webs are ,directedaway from-the threads, th'elatter'may be led to the warp roller-12 which, when-it'has received itsload of threads, may be transferred directly to the 160m.

Byconfining the threads" between the offset webs while they are beingsubjected-to the steaming openation, the tendency of-th'e threads tostretch or contract differential-lyis intended to be corrected to suchanextent as to permit of the directfwinding of 'thle'threads upon thewarp' rollr withoutthe previous settingoradj'ustingtoperationnownecessary in order to cause the different partbcoldred warp; threads toproperlyregister-with' each other:

The-shafts 05* the different rollers 37 have chai-n wheels'38;in-order-that'they may be connected with each other, by a chain belt 39,and driven from a-similar wheel-on' one of the draft rolls 9, by meansof-a' chain belt 40, the-rollers-37 insuch-case constituting a sup-'plementary drait'mech'anism.

Although I have shown-anddescrib'ed imyinvention as embodied ina-machine for'printing separate warp threads, the term warp 'as used inthe claims is not to be construed as a word of limitation since it'willbe evident that many of the features of the invention are capable of usein machines for printing designs upon the surface of woven or otherfabrics hence as to many ofthe claims the phrase a plurality oi -warpthread units side by side is to be interpreted broadly enough toincludesuch fabric.

I'claim: I

1. The combination, in a warp printing machine, of meansfor maintaining,sldeby-side, a plurality ot-"warp thread units, a frameofcolorimpnession: devices extending transversely across said warp threadunitsand having. a piuralltyof independently acting impression devices; ajacquard machine for operating the latter to positively bring them intocontactwith the warpthread units, andcme'ans torrchanging: thelongitudinaifposit-ion ot-saidwarp -thread..units and-color= impression.devices relatively to each other.

2. The combination, in a warp, printing machine, of means formaintaining, side by-side, a plurality of'warp thread iunits, a'trame otcolor. Impression devices. extend-- Ingtransversely-across saidwarpthread-units and having a plurality of independently actingimpresslongadevices, a jacquard machine operating to positively bringthe latter into contact with the warpthread units corresponding to-saidframe throughout all 'ot'the spaces represent ing a given color inarow-of pile, and means for changing the longitudinal position of thewarp thread units and color impression devices relatively to each other.

3. The combination, in a warp printing machine, of

means for maintaining, side by'side, a plurality of warp threadunits, aplural-itiot sets of color-impression devices, means for moving saidwarp thread units longitudinally in. respect to the impression devicesby a series of positive and intermittent step-by-step movements withoutimparting tensionto said warp thread units, and-a jacquard machine foroperating. the color-impression dc. .vices to positiveiybring them intocontact-with the warp thread units.

: 4. The combination, in a warp printing machine, of 'means formaintaining, side by side, a plurality of warp thrend'units, a pluralityot'sets of color impression devices, a-sunportcthereiorwhlch has nomovement from or towards the warp thread. units, means for-moving saidwarp thread units longitudinally in respect to the color impressiondevices, and a jacquard machine for'operating the latter to positivelybring them into contact with' the warp thread units.

5. The combination, ins warp printing machine, of

means for maintaining, side by slde,'a plurality of warp thread units, aplurality of setsot color impression devices, a steaming-box, and meansfor moving the warp thread" units longitudinally through saidstcamlng-box -andpast-said color impressionrdevices by a succession of:intermittent step-by-step movements without tension upon the warpthreadunits. 6. The combination, in a warp printing machine, of 'meansfor maintaining; side by side, i -plurality of warp thread units,alpiural-ity of sets ofcolor impression devices, draft mechanism-forsaid-=warp,thread units, and oitset-webs interposed between said draftmechanism and 'the warp thread units.

7. .The combination, in a warp printing machine, of means formaintaining, side by. side, a plurality ot-warp thi'cadunits,a:plurality ot sets of'color impression-de- ;vices, draft mechanism-forsaid-warp thread units, a steaming-box, and ofiset webs interposedbetween said 'draft mechanism and the warp thread units and'passlng w ththe latter through the steaming-box;

In'testimony whereof, I have signed'myname to this specification, in thepresence of'two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. LANDENBERGER.

Witnesses WM. E.'Snurn, Jos. H; KLEIN.

